Telescope.



PATENTED Nov. 27, 1906.

B. LQHMANN.

TELESCOPE.

APPLIoAnoN FILED 0011s, 1905.

' Attorneys.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN LOHMANN, OF GREENVILLE, OHIO.

TELESCOFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed October 18, 1905. Serial No. 283,316.'

o all whom t may cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN LOHMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenville, in the county of Darke and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Telescope, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to telescopes.

The object of the invention is in a' ready, simple, thoroughly feasible,and practical manner to dispense with the ordinary drivingclock foreffecting rotation of an equatorial telescope on its polar axis in rightascension and in lieu thereof to employ pneumaticallyactuated mechanismfor securing this result.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a driving means for effectingrotation of an equatorial telescope about its polar axis, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, thefigure is a view in elevation, partly in section, exhibiting theimprovements that constitute this invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the ordinary base 0f thetelescope, which is mounted upon the usual tripod 2. Supported upon thebase in any preferred manner is the telescope 3, the shaft 4 thereofwhich constitutes the polar axis having combined with it an ordinaryworm-wheel 5, with which meshes a worm 6.` All of these parts may be ofthe usual or any preferred construction, and therefore need no detaileddescription.

The present invention resides in the novel mechanism foreffectingrotation of the wormwheel 5, whereby the telescope is caused toturn upon its polar axis in right ascension to cause it to follow acelestial object. This result is secured by a novel arrangement ofpneumatically-actuated mechanism, in the operation o f which a steadymotion will be imparted to the telescope tube that will closelyapproximate the ordinary clockwork mechanism commonly employed.

To accomplish the objects sought, the base between the two standards 7,that carry the arms 8, in which the worm 6 is journaled, has mountedupon it a cylinder 9, with which is combined a piston 10, the upper endof which is closed by a head 11. The cylinder 9 may be cast integralwith the base or maybe a separate element secured thereto, as shown inthe present instance by screw-threads. Generally it will be preferred tomake both the cylinder and piston of brass tubing, as shown. The underside of the base is provided with an orificed teat or lug 12, throughwhich and the base extends a port 13, that communicates with thecylinder. Connected with the teat is one end of a rubber or other exibletubing 14, the other end of which has combined with it a compressiblebulb 15, such as is commonly employed in connection with cameras. Theteat 12 may be formed integral with the base or may be secured theretoin any preferred manner.

Mounted in a pair of brackets 16, "(one only being shown,) supported bythe base, is

a shaft 17, upon the intermediate portion of which is keyed aratchet-wheel 18, one end of the shaft having keyed to it a gear-wheel19 and the other end a sprocket-wheel 20, the latter being engaged by asprocket-chain 21, that engages a sprocket-wheel 22, carried by theworm-shaft. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 17 is a lever 23, thatcarries a springpressed pawl 24, adapted to engage with theratchet-wheel 18 on the upward movement .of the lever, the free end ofthe lever being It will disposed over the head of the piston. be seenfrom this arrangement that when the bulb 15 is compressed the air willbe forced through the port 13 and into the cylinder and lift the piston,whereupon the lever 23 will be rocked, and this latter through themedium of the pawl 24 and ratchet-wheel 18 will rotate the shaft 17, andthis motion will be transmitted by the sprocket-chain 21 to theworm-shaft, thereby causing the latter to .turn and actuate theworin-wheel 5. While sprocket-wheels and a sprocket-chain are hereinshown for transmitting motion from the shaft 17 to the worm, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, as any othermeans for securing this result may be adopted if found necessary ordesirable.

In order to carry the motion resulting from the compression of the bulbover to the next compression, thus to secure a continuous motion, afly-wheel 25 is provided, which is carried by one end of a shaft 26,journaled in the bracket 16, the other end of the shaft having securedto it a pinion 27, that meshes with the .gear-wheel 19. It will be seenby this arrangement of mechanism that a continuous and even motion maybe imparted to IIO the worm-wheel 5 at any desired rate of speed whichwill be controlled or regulated by the amount of pressure exerted uponthe bulb 15.

lt will be seen from the foregoing description that although the`driving mechanism herein deined is simple in character it will bethoroughly e'ective for the purposes designed and may be readily appliedto an ordinary telescope without requiring any eX- tended change in itsstructural arrangement'.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isl. Thecombination with the worm of an equatorial telescope; of means fordriving thc worm comprising a cylinder, a piston coactng therewith,means for forcing air into the cylinder, a drive-shaft operativelyconnected withl the worm, a ratchet-wheel rigid with the drive-shaft, alever loosely mounted on the drive-shaft and adapted to loe actuated bythe piston, and a pawl carried by the lever and engaging theratchet-wheel.

2. The combination with the worm of an equatorial telescope, of meansfor driving the worm comprising a cylinder, a piston coacting therewith,a-ileXible tube and compressible bulb for supplying air to the cylinder,a

drive-shaft operatively connected with the` worm, a ratchet-wheel rigidwith. the driveshaft, a lever loosely mounted on the driveshaft andengaging the piston, and a pawl carried by the lever and engaging theratchetwheel.

3. The combination with the worm of an equatorial telescope, of meansfor driving the worm comprising a cylinder, a piston coacting therewith,a flexible tube and compressible bulb for supplying air to thecylinder', a drive-shaft operatively connected with the worm, aratchet-wheel rigid with the driveshaft, a lever loosely mounted on thedriveshaft and engaging the piston, a pawl carried by the lever andengaging the ratchetwheel, and a fly-wheel actuated from the drive-shaftto convert the intermittent motion of the piston into acontinuousmotion.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ai'liXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN LOHMANN. Witnesses:

OsBoRN WILSON, C. F. WILsoN.

